Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a system and method of deicing water within a receptacle, such as a pond, birdbath, or the like. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a system for covering a floating deicer so that the deicer itself is hidden from view above a water or ice line.
Heating or deicing systems have commonly been used to maintain unfrozen areas in fluids such as water. For example, deicing systems may be used in water tanks for livestock, fish ponds, and the like. Early deicers burned wood, coal, or gas while most deicers today are electric. A typical deicing system includes a heater coil. The heat from the coil is transferred to the fluid to keep the fluid from freezing. Electric deicers typically range from 1000 to 1500 watts and may include thermostats that are commonly used to turn the unit on or off in order to introduce heat into the fluid when freezing conditions exist.
Many property owners have ponds located within their property. During winter months in colder climates, the ponds tend to freeze over with ice. When the ponds freeze over, toxic gases are trapped under the ice and pose a hazard to fish living within the pond. If the frozen surface is not broken in order to allow toxic gases to escape, the water below the frozen surface may become overly concentrated with nitrates, for example. Thus, the ice typically is broken in order to allow the toxic gases to escape.
In order to gain access to water below the surface for various activities and provide a path for toxic gases to escape, the frozen surface of the water is typically broken, drilled, or the like, in order to provide an accessible path to the water below. However, conventional methods of providing access to the water are typically labor-intensive, time-consuming, and typically do not prevent subsequent freezing.
As an alternative to conventional methods, pond heaters may maintain an ice-free area within a body of water. However, typical pond heaters are expensive to operate because they operate between approximately 1000 and 1500 watts or more, and, as such, may be dangerous.
Deicers typically are one of three types: (1) floating deicers, wherein the heating element is suspended from a floatation device such that it operates near the surface of the fluid; (2) sinking deicers, wherein the deicer rests upon the bottom of the pond or tank, usually attached to a guard such that the heating element is not in direct contact with the bottom; or (3) drain plug deicers mounted through the drain hole in a livestock tank.
Floating deicers have been used for a number of years in fish ponds in order to keep a hole open in the ice during winter months to allow harmful gases to escape from the water. Such gases are often produced by decaying fish waste or foreign matter such as leaves. If not allowed to escape, the gases can build to toxic levels and kill the fish. Floating deicers typically employ a Styrofoam float in order to keep the unit at the water surface.
Many fish ponds are used for decorative purposes and may contain koi or other show fish. The ponds are typically designed to be aesthetically pleasing. However, deicers generally appear “industrial” and out of place within the pond, thereby detracting from the aesthetic qualities of the ponds.